A coalition of area law enforcement led by Adair County Sheriff Robert Hardwick implored the Kirksville City Council to essentially make pseudoephedrine-based drugs, the key ingredient to methamphetamine, available in Kirksville by prescription only.

The Kirksville City Council is expected to consider an ordinance that would require the sale of a pseudoephedrine-based product be conducted by a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy tech, essentially making the purchase prescription-only.

"We've already exceeded last year's number of incidents [involving meth production] this year," Hardwick said. "We're way past that point."

Hardwick, joined by Adair County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Wilson, Mo. Rep. Nate Walker, Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes, Sgt. C. W. Craig with the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control and Sgt. Det. Jason Grellner with the Franklin County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, presented the Council stats and figures showing high amounts of pseudo-based drug purchases and linked them to area crimes and the expenses incurred addressing those issues.

According to reports filed annually by local law enforcement, Adair County had 21 incidents related to meth manufacturing in 2012 but is far exceeding that six months into 2013 with more than 40 incidents reported through the sheriff's office and KPD.

That number of incidents puts Adair County within the top 8 percent of counties in Missouri.

"We have situations where we have families of three generations that are making methamphetamine," Wilson said. "It's an ongoing problem."

While federally-mandated logs of pseudo-based drug purchases indicate in the City of Kirksville, with a population of about 17,000, each resident would have purchased about one box of a drug like Sudafed in 2012, Hardwick and Grellner alleged that about two-thirds of the pseudoephedrine substance itself went to known drug manufacturers or buyers and suspicious purchases.

While the amount of the drug in circulation alone troubles Hardwick, he and Hughes both pointed to meth-related crimes like property thefts, assaults and burglaries that can also be linked to the drug trade.

"The meth production we have now is generating secondary crimes," Hughes said. A substantial spike in thefts was attributed to alleged meth-manufacturors earlier this year, with drug charges commonly tied to thefts to fuel the purchase of precursors and pseudo.

"And they're not just stealing little things here and there, or shoplifting," Wilson said. "They're moving firearms, big time, as part of their drug activity."

At least one burglary and theft suspect in Kirksville was also charged with stealing firearms and manufacturing methamphetamine and at least nine rifles were allegedly located at his residence.

"These are addiction-fueled crimes," Grellner said. "They make enough for themselves or their friends and enough to sell or steal enough to make another batch."

The exact language of such an ordinance will be worked on by both county and city officials, with the possibility it could also include provisions on so-called designer drugs like synthetic marijuana, also known as K-2 or spice, as well as bath salts.

Page 2 of 2 - The potential ordinance would likely not ban the sale outright of pseudo-based drugs, of which about 13 name-brand products are for sale currently in Kirksville, instead requiring the sale be conducted by a licensed pharmacist or pharmacy tech, leading the process to be too expensive for stores like Wal-Mart or Walgreens to allow for over-the-counter sales and instead require a prescription.

About 70 Missouri cities and several counties have already enacted similar restrictions on pseudo-based drugs.

Grellner, from the St. Louis area, pointed to drops in meth-lab incidents in southeastern Missouri following efforts to pass restrictions. He said there does not appear to be a proportionate increase in reports in surrounding counties or cities.

"When you continue to sell pseudo you are inviting these residents to stay in your communities," Grellner said.

The Council appeared to express interest in proceeding with discussions and an examination of a sample ordinance, with Mayor Richard Detweiler asking to review an ordinance "as soon as you can get it to us."